This invention relates to an apparatus for breaking in softening baseball or softball gloves. When manufactured, the leather gloves are generally stiff and unsuitable for use. Gloves are broken-in over a period of time through use until a glove becomes pliable and easy to handle. There is a need for an efficient and economical apparatus to condition gloves to make them pliable and easy to open and close in order to make catching a ball easier.
The prior art includes U.S. Pat. No. 5,547,114 to Mitchell which discloses a holding arm on which a glove is mounted, the holder being in semblance to the human hand and an air operated cylinder unit including an impact member carried at a working end of the cylinder rod to strike the palm part of the glove thereby softening the leather of the palm part. This action is done repeatedly until a softened pocket is formed in the glove palm.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,019,259 to Staniecki, discloses a hand member adapted to fit inside a new baseball or softball glove and a mechanical apparatus for causing a repetitive movement of the glove while the hand member remains therein. The thumb piece is pivotally connected to the rest of the hand about a pivot axis to stimulate the catching movement of the human hand. The mechanical apparatus has a pair of upwardly projecting arms. One of the arms is coupled to the drive mechanism to oscillate toward and away from the other arm. In use, the glove flexing apparatus causes the glove to flex between open and closed positions to soften the leather.
Also of interest are U.S. Pat. No. 915,465 to McBride, U.S. Pat. No. 4,753,442 to Bland, U.S. Pat. No. 4,036,415 to Filko, and U.S. Pat. No. 1,636,234 to Klopsteg.
The invention represents an improvement over the above patents in providing an economical and efficient apparatus to break-in baseball gloves in a short period of time.